Calculating machine



11g5, 1941. T. LAGERMAN 2,251,520

CALCULATING MACHINE Filed May 18, l 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug, 5, 1941.

Tf LAGERMAN 2,251,520 CALCULATING MACHINE Filed May 18, 1938 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 5, 1941 CALCULATING MACHINE TorstenLagerman, Goteborg, Sweden Application May 18, 1938, Serial No. 208,679In Germany May 28, 1937 2 Claims.

,ing ten keys, for adjusting the shiftable teeth of the setting disksthrough the intermedium of setting members. The invention has for itsobject to provide a machine of the kind set forth of particularly simpleand inexpensive .construction.

Calculating machines having a setting mechanism composed of settingdisks with adjustable teeth and a key-board comprising ten keys arepreviously known in which each setting disk is provided, as in similarmachines having setting levers, with a rotatable curved disk, which,upon depression of akey, is turned more or less through the intermediaryof movement transmitting members in correspondence with the numeralvalue of the key. Also other machines of the setting disk type having akey-board .comprising ten keys are known but such machines are all of arather complicated construction.

Furthermore, calculating machines the setting mechanism of whichcomprises setting disks with shiftable teeth and which have a completekeyboard are known in which there are allotted to each setting disk anumber of laterally turnable setting members, for example four suchmembers, which are actuated by the keys in the row of keys appertainingto the corresponding setting disk through the intermediary of a seriesof movement transmitting members and which upon actuation shift acorresponding setting-disk-tooth or group of teeth in a lateraldirection,

According to the present invention the setting members controlled by thekeys are arranged in such known manner, each opposite a correspondingtooth or group of teeth in the setting disk being in its settingposition, as to be capable of causing the corresponding teeth r groupsof teeth to be shifted, preferably in an axial direction, withoutturning any part of the setting disk about its axis. The invention ischaracterized in that the setting members consist of pins or the likewhich are displaceable in a plane that is parallel with the plane 0f therespective setting disk and are adapted, upon displacement, to engagewith the corresponding teeth or groups of teeth or to be brought intoworking positions in preparedness for engagement with said teeth orgroups of teeth, Since the setting pins are thus movable in a plane thatis parallel with the plane of movement of the keys said pins can beactuated in a simple manner, for example through the intermediary ofbails which are movable in parallel with said plane and are actuateddirectly by the key arm. In a ten-key machine according to the inventionthe total number of setting pins can be reduced to four, for example,thereby considerably reducing the total number of parts of the settingmechanism, Preferably the setting pins are so arranged that theactuation thereof through the keys will bring them into working or stoppositions positioned axially with respect to the corresponding teeth orgroups of teeth, the stop pins being brought into actual engagement withthe teeth to be set up through a step-wise displacement of the settingdisk rotor relatively to the pins. Such construction involves theadvantage that the settingup of the teeth will be effected through thedriving power of the stepping mechanism, resulting in that the settingpins, which themselves can be made easily movable, become readilyshiitable so that a very slight pressure on the key will suffice todepress the same.

The invention will now be described more in detail having reference tothe accompanying drawings which show an embodiment of the invention. Thedrawings show substantially only such parts of the calculating machine,to which the invention directly applies, in that the machine can beconstructed for the rest in a manner known per se. In the drawingsFigure 1 shows the setting disk rotor and certain parts cooperatingtherewith, partly in front view and partly in section on the line I-l inFigure 3;

Figure 2 shows the same parts in top View, the rotor being partly brokenaway;

Figure 3 shows a section taken at right angles to the axis `of rotationof the rotor;

Figure 4 is a detail shown on a larger scale;

'Figure 5 shows another section taken at right angles to the' axis ofthe rotor;

Figure 6 shows a modified detail; and

Fig. 6a shows the modiiied detail of Fig. 6 in inoperative position.r

The rotor l is supported by a shaft 2 which is mounted for rotation inthe frame, a crank 'or other driving means, for instance an electricmotor, being provided to rotate the shaft. The

rotor is displaceable axially on the shaft and is rotatable togethertherewith, It is composed in known manner of a number of setting disks3, each of said disks being provided with nine adjustable or settableteeth 4 which are shown only partly on the drawings. Some of the teethof each disk are combined to form groups of teeth having fixed relationto each other so as to be adjustable in common, said groups of teethbeing preferably combined to form toothed sectors. In the example shownve teeth are combined to form a toothed sector 5, and two teeth arecombined to form a smaller toothed sector 6. The two remaining teeth areindividually adjustable and consist of rods or pins l and 8. All theteeth and toothed sectors in each setting disk are pivoted with slightplay on a circularly bent spindle 9 which is inserted between the twohalves ID (Figure 4) of which each setting disk 3 is composed. The teethor toothed sectors respectively aie positioned in recesses between thehalves IU and are provided each with a spring actuated stop, said stopconsisting of a spring actuated ball II which is positioned in a boreand retained therein by a stud i2 on the tooth 0r sector, which is heldby the stop in either one of two limit positions (compare Figure 4), theposition shown in full lines being the inoperative position and theposition shown in dot-and-dash lines being the operative position of theteeth or toothed sectors.

In the shown example the setting members consist of four pins 5', 6',l', 8 which are arranged in a row extending at right angles to the rotorshaft and are supported in a holder I3 xed to the frame, the pins beingdisplaceable in said holder in their vertical longitudinal directions.Each stop pin is normally held in a lower position by a spring I4. Thestop pins are positioned substantially in the plane of the setting diskwhich is in order to be adjusted so that when the rotol` occupies itsstarting position the stop pins will be positioned approximately rightin front of the outermost setting disk at the left hand end of therotor. As will be clear from Figure 3, the pin 5' is arranged tocooperate with the toothed sector 5 comprising ve teeth, the pin 6cooperates with the toothed sector 6 comprising two teeth, and the pins'I' and 8 cooperate each with an appertaining one of the individuallyadjustable teeth i and 8.

The actuation of the setting pins through the ten numeral keys I5, whichare disposed at the front side of the machine, is effected through theintermediary of four bails 5", 6", 1, 8 which are journalled in theframe, the middle portions of said bails extending below andappertaining one of the setting pins and above the inner ends of thekeys. Each one of the keys, with the exception of the zero key, isprovided at each point where it crosses any one of the bails 5-8 withwhich it is supposed to cooperate with a raised portion IS which, uponthe depressing of the key, lifts the bail and consequently also thecorresponding setting pin. As will be clear from Figure 2, the 9-key isprovided with four raised portions which will lift, upon depressing ofthe key, all four bails 5"-8 and thus all four setting pins 5-8, whilethe 8-key has raised portions under the bails 5", E and 8", the 'l-keyis adapted to actuate the bails 5 and 6 and thus the pins 5 and 6', the6-key actuates the bails 5 and 8, the 5-key only the bail 5, the 4-keythe bails 6, I and 8,

the 3-key the bails 6 and l, the 2-key the bails i and 8", and the l-keythe bail 8".

Extending above the inner ends of all the keys, thus also above theO-key, is a bow I'i which carries a detent I8 turnable on a verticalpivot and also a detent I9 xedly secured to the bow and positionedadjacent to and somewhat lower than the detent I8, said two detentsbeing adapted to cooperate, for the purpose of effecting the step-wisemovement of the rotor or barrel. with a rack 20 secured at the ends oftwo arms 2i, 22 extending forwards and downwards from the end pieces ofthe rotor. The pivoted detent i8 is normally in engagement with one ofthe teeth of the rack 20, thereby preventing the rotor from beingdisplaced to the left under the action of a powerful spring 23 whichacts on a lever 24 the bifurcated upper end of which engages with a pin25 disposed on the arm extending from the right hand end piece of therotor. When, upon depression of any one of the keys, the bow I'I islifted, the detent I8 will be moved out of engagement with the rack 20while at the same time the ixed detent I9 will be moved into thefollowing space between the teeth (Figure 2) and into the path of thefollowing tooth on the rack, so that during the depression of the keythe rotor will move one half step to the left under the action of thespring 23. Provided that the depressed key is not the zero key but anyone of the keys which cooperate with the hails 5-l, a number of teeth 4on the nearest setting disk corresponding to the numeral value of thekey will then be moved against the stop pins raised by the key and thusbe brought into operative position, said teeth being forced by the stoppins to snap over to the right to their operative positions, as shown inFigure 4 with dot-and-dash lines.

During the return movement of the key the stop pins raised thereby arelowered into their starting positions under the action of the sprin'glli. Furthermore, the detent I9 xedly secured to the bow I will begradually moved out of engagement with the rack 25, the pivoted detentI8 being at the same time moved into the same space between the teeth ofthe locking bar, so that at the end of the return movement of the keythe rotor will be moved a further half step. The next setting disk willnow be in a position for setting up its teeth.

The indicating mechanism consists of a number of numeral sectors 2lpivoted on a shaft 28 supported by the arm 2|, 22 and each provided atits front face with the numerals 0 to 9. According to the position ofthe numeral sectors a corresponding numeral will appear in numeralopening 29 provided in the machine casing. The numeral sectors 2participate in the stepwise movement of the rotor and will therefore oneafter the other be brought into setting position right opposite asetting arm 36 rigidly secured to a bar 3I which is pivoted on the sameshaft as the keys and extends above the same. Upon depressing any one ofthe keys with the exception of the zero key the key will press with afinger 33, which extends upwards and rearwards and the length of whichis determined with regard to the numerical value of the key, against thebar 3l, said bar being rocked more or less to the left in accordancewith the numeral value of the key. The arm 30 then presses against aprojection 32 on the opposite numeral sector 27, swinging the latter somuch upwards that the numeral corresponding to the key will appear inthe corresponding numeral opening 29. The numeral sectors are held intheir set positions by means of a fixed locking bar 34, which extends inparallel With the rotor shaft, each numeral sector 21 sliding up on saidlocking bar immediately after completion of the setting operation, therocking bar 34 then engaging with a notch 35 in the inner portion of thenumeral sector corresponding to the set up numeral.

For zeroizing the teeth of setting disks after each calculatingoperation there is provided a separate Zeroizing member consisting of acylindrical segment 36 which partly embraces the rotor when the latteroccupies its starting position. For each setting disk the cylindersegment 36 is provided with a circular cam 31, which, in the startingposition of the rotor, is positioned under the corresponding settingdisk so as to partly embrace the circumference thereof. The cylindersegment 35 is pivoted on two pivots 38 which extend through oblonginclined holes in a nange rigidly connected with the segment, saidpivots being fastened in a` holder 39. A helical spring 45 strives topull the cylinder segment to the right so that the latter'will normallyoccupy the lowered position shown in Figure 1. After each calculatingoperation the rotor is moved so far to the right that its startingposition is passed somewhat, the lower end 40 of the lever 24 thenengaging with the right end of the flange provided on the cylindersegment, pressing the segment to the left so as to raise the same. Eachcam 31 is then moved in an inclined direction upwards towards thecorresponding row of teeth, pressing the set teeth in said row to theleft so as to cause them to snap back to their inoperative positions.When immediately thereafter the rotor is released, it will be displacedby the spring 23 a few millimeters to the left to its correct startingposition, the cylinder segment 36 being then relieved of the pressurefrom the lever 24 and being pulled back to the right by the spring 45and lowered to its normal position.

Figure 6 shows schematically another construction of the setting pins.According to said construction each pin 4I is provided with a lockingabutment 43 whic-h on account of the pressure from. a laterally disposedspring 44 snaps over the edge of the holder I3 when the pin is liftedduring the actuation of a key, so that the pin will remain in its setposition until it engages with the corresponding tooth or toothedsector. On account of the pressure produced on the engagement with thelatter, `the tooth 4 will be pressed to the right, as in the exampledescribed above, the pin 4| being at the same time pressed to the leftso that the locking abutment 43 will slide off the edge, whereupon thepin, through the action of a blade spring 42 engaging the same at itslower end, will be returned to its starting position.

'Ihe tens transfer mechanism can be made in an arbitrary known manner.For example, a separate tens transfer rotor provided with tens transferhooks or the like can be provided in the manner common in calculatingmachines of the setting disk type.

The 'totalizer or registering mechanism, with the calculating Wheels orintermediate wheels of which the set up teeth are brought intoengagement after completed setting operation, is indicated on thedrawings through the dot-anddash circular arc 46 at the upper right handcorner of Figure 3. The registering mechanism and the revolutionscounting mechanism can preferably be arranged in a carriage but can alsobe stationary, if desired.

Through the described construction with only a few, for example foursetting pins, the setting mechanism will become very much simplified.The operation of the machine will be convenient because of the Veryslight key pressure that is required. The provision of setting diskteeth which are shiftable in an axial direction instead 0f in a radialdirection, as in the shown example, will also contribute to theconvenient operation and to the simplification and cheapening ofmanufacture. Of course, different modicatons of the embodiment describedare conceivable. For example, the setting pins, instead of consisting ofpins which are movable in their longitudinal direction, can be made inthe form of turnable levers or the like. Furthermore, the rotor can bestationary during the setting operation and instead the holder orsupport for the setting pins be movable step by step in an axialdirection, opposite to the direction of the step-wise movement in thedescribed case. In such a case care must be taken to control that aftereach setting movement the rotor actually takes up its correct positionin respect to the registering mechanism, an extra displacement of therotor or of the registering mechanism being eiiected, if necessary.

I claim:

1. In a calculating machine in combination, a rotor, a number ofradially projecting and normally inoperative teeth mounted on said rotorin equally spaced apart transverse planes, said projecting teeth beingshiftable laterally in relation to the rotor into operative positions, anumber of setting members mounted in a transverse row, a keyboard, meansunder the control of said keyboard for bringing predetermined settingmembers in positions each in lateral alignment with one of theprojecting teeth, an escapement mechanism operable under the control ofsaid keyboard to displace the rotor in a lateral direction in stepsequal to the distances between said transverse planes afterpredetermined ones of said setting members have been positioned andthereby to cause said predetermined setting members to shift the teethaligned therewith into operative positions without rotation of therotor, and means for restoring said setting members.

2. A n arrangement according to claim 1 in which said setting membersconsist of spring actuated pins slideable in slots having a lateralwidth larger than that of the pins, said pins being provided withlateral locking abutments, and stationary stops being provided forengagement with said abutments in the operating positions of the pins soas to retain the pins in these positions, the pins being releaseableupon actuation by contact with corresponding teeth.

TORSTEN LAGERMAN.

